'Our daughters lived in sheds in the back garden and they loved it'
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After moving house, a family found themselves short on space - but came up with a quirky and ingenious solution. The Wilkinson family made the move to Gabalfa in Cardiff to improve their five daughters' school options, but their new home was in desperate need of an extension. The static caravan which came with the property initially seemed like the perfect solution for eldest daughters Megan and Ashleigh, who were longing for a bit more private space.
However, as soon as they moved in, it became clear that the leaking "crumbling" caravan wouldn't be fit to sleep in, and so, after holding a party, the Wilkinsons tore it down, with parents Ross and Nicola getting back to the drawing board. It was then that Nicola's father, Rob, had an imaginative idea to create more space without extending the main property by installing two sheds in the back garden, each containing a bedroom for the girls. Even though some family members were sceptical, Ross and Nicola shared this inventive proposal with their daughters, who were instantly keen to give it a go.
The weather-resistant log cabins were no ordinary sheds. Built from spruce timber specially imported from Poland, they came with double-glazing and locking front doors. When the cabins arrived, carpenter Ross, aged 43 and originally from Whitchurch, worked on the foundations, construction, and installation of the underground electricity, creating the ideal spaces for his daughters.
Nicola, also aged 43, recalled: "We moved in in December, and by February 5, the first cabin was up – the girls couldn't wait. It was pure excitement, they were over the moon. If they didn't want to do it, there's no way they would have, but they absolutely loved it. They were so excited to get out there and have their own space – they wouldn't have it any other way. We're a very busy household with the five girls, and I'm a childminder, so we’re very busy and also have a big family, so when it came to needing quiet time to study, the cabins were perfect.".
